A table saw fence is a necessity for making a straight cut on your table saw. If you have a table saw without a fence you may be looking into fence options that you can add to your table saw without breaking the bank or being forced into buying the manufacturer’s fence. This brings the question, can you use any table saw fence? Are table saw fences universal?
In short, there is truly no universal table saw fence. Most companies sell table saws that use a proprietary method of mounting the fence, forcing you to purchase the manufacturer’s fence that is designed for your table saw. There are after-market “universal” options that will work for most table saws but they may not work on all of them.
Continue reading as we look into the universal options available as well as building one yourself.
What is the Purpose of a Table Saw Fence?
A table saw fence is a necessary tool for your table saw, which will allow you to make accurate cuts while also adding safety to the process. A table saw fence clamps to your table saws table and sits parallel to the blade.
The fence will give you a surface that you can press the wood against as you push the wood through the blade. This serves a few purposes.
- A table saw fence can be adjusted to a set distance from the blade, allowing you to make a rip cut at the desired depth.
- A table saw fence also serves as a guide that allows you to keep your cuts straight. If you were to try to free-hand the cut, it will not be perfectly straight. (NOT Recommended)
- There is also added safety by using a fence. If you try to freehand your cut, there is a very high likelihood that you will create a scenario that will cause the blade to be pinched. This is when kickback occurs, and can cause very serious injuries. You should NEVER freehand a cut on the table saw.
(Almost) Universal Table Saw Fence Systems
If you need a table saw fence, and don’t want to use the manufacturer’s original fence, there are other options out there. You can build your own, which we talk about in the next section, or you can look into universal options.
Before you purchase the first universal table saw fence you come across, you should take a closer look to see if the fence will truly work for your table saw. Universal should actually say “most”, or with modification.
Vega Table Saw Fence System
A popular option is the Vega table saw fence system. This system is more than just the fence, as it adds its own rail system. The system can use existing mounting holes on certain table saw models. Here is an excerpt on mounting options from Vega’s website.
“Vega Saw Fences are designed to use existing bolt holes (no drilling required) of Delta Unisaws & Contractors Saws, Powermatic Model 66, most Sears 10″ saws and most other saws having fence rail mounting holes 8 -9″ on either side of the blade”
If you have a table saw that does not have pre-drilled holes in the correct spot, you will be required to drill your own. The system also has a limit on the depth that it can be mounted. The depth of your table saw will have to fall in the range of 34 and 42 inches.
Carter Magnetic Fence
Another option that could work would be a magnetic fence. Carter makes a magnetic fence that will attach directly to the top of your table saw table, as long as it is made of ferrous metal.
There are a few benefits to this type of fence.
- It can be attached without any drilling or modification
- The fence can be used on other shop tools such as a router table or bandsaw table.
- The magnetic fence has adjustable magnets to fit a wide range of table saw depths.
However, there is a drawback to this type of fence, as it can be much more difficult to align the fence parallel to the blade. Your table saw’s table also has to be made of a ferrous material that the magnet can attach to. Some table saw options only have an aluminum top.
Carter does offer a fast fence alignment tool that will work great for common thickness settings, but if you need any other depths besides what the alignment tool offers, you will have to resort to other methods of setting the alignment.
Can You Make Your Own Table Saw Fence?
If you want to avoid buying the manufacturer’s fence, or a universal option, there is a third option. You could build your own table saw fence. This will require a bit more planning and research but could pay big dividends as you can tweak it to make it fit your needs better.
This can be an excellent route to go for the handy DIYer but will only be as good as you make it. It will be dependent on your skill level and the materials you choose.
I found two excellent options if you want to go this route.
Biesemeyer T-Square Style with Aluminum Channel
The resource for building this fence is a bit outdated, and not much information to go off of. However, there is a great sketch that goes with the article that highlights all the necessary components. I would consider this to be a medium-difficulty build, and should only be attempted if you are comfortable with building a project off a smaller amount of detail. You can find the article here.
I like this option and included it because of its use of an aluminum channel. This will allow the fence to be much more rigid and take a bit more abuse, potentially lasting for years.
Wooden Table Saw Fence
This option is also a great choice for the DIYer and is one I would probably consider myself. It is made entirely out of wood and hardware, so the cost won’t break the bank. It also seems like it would be very rigid and would work for most projects that you would take on in your shop.
This style comes with some amazing videos and a very detailed article with photos to guide you along the process. Personally, I would feel very comfortable taking this project on.
The only downside is that you do have to pay for the entire plan and cut sheets. At the time of writing, the cost was $12, but very reasonable for the level of detail you get. If you would like to purchase the plans, you can find them here. You can also check out their YouTube video below, which shows the fence in action.
Final Thoughts
Table saw fences from the manufacturer are not universal, but there are after-market options available. If you are looking at a universal table saw fence, you should check the specifications to make sure it will work with your particular model.
If you like the idea of building a table saw fence yourself, it is completely doable. In this article, I only listed a few plans that I found and liked myself, but there are a ton of other options out there that you can find with a quick Google search.
Whichever route you go, just make sure you use a table saw fence not only for accuracy but for your safety as well.